Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Founder operating in the Oil and Gas space. If you think a Founder is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Lorenzo Simonelli
Founder, Chairman & CEO of Baker Hughes
Lorenzo Simonelli is President & CEO of GE Oil & Gas, an advanced technology equipment and services company that serves all segments of the oil and gas industry from extraction to transportation to end use. The business employs 43,000 people around the world. Before joining GE Oil & Gas, Lorenzo was President and CEO of GE Transportation, a global transportation leader in the rail, mining, marine and energy storage industries. During his five-year tenure, he expanded and diversified GE Transportation by focusing on advanced technology manufacturing, intelligent control systems, and a diverse approach to new propulsion solutions to solve the world’s toughest transportation challenges. Lorenzo has also served as CFO Americas for GE Consumer & Industrial, as well as General Manager, Product Management for GE Appliances, Lighting, Electrical Distribution and Motors. He joined GE’s Financial Management Program in 1994, where he worked on assignments in GE International, GE Shared Services, GE Oil & Gas and Consolidated Financial Insurance. Originally from Florence, Italy, Lorenzo is is a Business & Economics Graduate from Cardiff University in South Wales.
Follow Lorenzo Simonelli:
About Baker Hughes: Baker Hughes is an energy technology company that provides solutions for energy and industrial customers worldwide.
Anand Verma
Founder & CEO of Expect. (trading name of Exponential Climate Technologies Ltd.)
Anand Verma @anandverma Anand is the Founder and CEO of climate tech startup Expect. A London-based company committed to decarbonising greening companies, profitably. Prior to my recent ventures, I was the Owner, Founder and CEO of Brilliant Basics (acquired by Infosys), an award winning Global Digital and Innovation company headquartered in London with studios all over the world. Successfully acquired by Infosys in 2017 to accelerate Design and Innovation for Infosys and its clients globally. I also led Infosys’ digital capabilities in EMEA and was a part of the Infosys leadership team. I am also deeply involved with leading design school and university partnerships for Infosys. I am a digital visionary, innovator and successful entrepreneur who understands new products and services, revenue growth, operations and people. I have over 20 years’ experience in management consulting, digital and tech businesses. I have built a successful career by consistently delivering value through digital and customer-centricity. I love creating value by reducing complexity in the digital world at both speed x scale. Prior to founding Brilliant Basics, I was one of the youngest Presidents and CEO’s at Interpublic Group (IPG) leading IPG Mediabrands Ventures in EMEA, a global advertising and media conglomerate where I led digital Operations, Innovative Products and Services and M&A. And previous to that I held leadership roles at Sapient (now a part of Publicis), AKQA (now a part of WPP) and Modem Media (now a part of Publicis). I am an active investor, adviser, non exec board director, academia, podcast host and speaker. Related Information: – Anand was a co-founder of atp.io in 2012, a Marketing Tech Platform. – Anand was a cofounder of Everpress, a product incubator. – Anand was a co-founder of haberdash app, a digital textile printing startup. – Anand was a co-founder of Weekly, a media startup. – Anand was a co-founder of Mesmerise, a VR and AR Tech Platform. – Anand was the Founder and CEO of Brilliant Basics (acquired by Infosys) – Anand was INED for HML Holdings Plc, next generation Property Management company. Exited to Harwood Capital PE. – Anand was a Senior Leader at Infosys, Sapient, Publicis.Sapient, Interpublic Group IPG, AKQA…
Follow Anand Verma:
About Expect. (trading name of Exponential Climate Technologies Ltd.): Expect. is the decarbonisation management platform for large enterprises and heavy industries.
Alexander Guslisty
Founder, CEO of BIG Atom
Follow Alexander Guslisty:
About BIG Atom: Recycling company on a mission to end polymer waste. They develop, build and operate new generation infrastructure for processing waste.
Romain Saint Guilhem
Co-Founder and COO of Zebra Fuel
Follow Romain Saint Guilhem:
About Altacasa, Zebra Fuel: Zebra Fuel is a mobile fuel delivery service that delivers fuel into a vehicle directly at a preferred delivery time.
Reda Bennis
Co-Founder and CEO of Zebra Fuel
Reda Bennis (@reda_zebra) is the CEO & Co-Founder @ Zebra Fuel
Follow Reda Bennis:
About Inside Capital, Zebra Fuel: Zebra Fuel is a mobile fuel delivery service that delivers fuel into a vehicle directly at a preferred delivery time.
Nick Rogers
COO & Co-Founder of Sky-Futures
Nick is Chief Regulatory and Training Officer (CRTO) and co-founder at Sky-Futures. He oversees the Training and Regulatory framework including the UK CAA National Qualified Entity (NQE) Status, ensuring that the Remote Pilot training is robust and fit for purpose. As a qualified civilian airline Captain who continues to fly Airbus A320 passenger jets, Nick’s aviation experience and understanding of the manned aviation environment have been instrumental in establishing a culture of safety and outstanding operational procedures that help enhance Sky-Futures position as a leading drone technology company.
Follow Nick Rogers:
About Sky-Futures: Sky-Futures is a provider of drone-based inspection and data services to the industrial inspection market.
Nigel Brandon
Co-Founder of Ceres Power
Mr. Nigel Brandon served as the Chief Scientist of Ceres Power Limited and Ceres Power Holdings PLC. Mr. Brandon co-founded Ceres Power Holdings PLC in June 2001 and served as its Chief Technology Officer. He served as the academic staff at Imperial since 1998 and now has a Chair at the College as the Shell Professor of Sustainable Energy Development. He spent over fourteen years in industry with both BP and Rolls-Royce in senior R&D roles in fuel cells and related areas. Mr. Brandon is a world-renowned figure in the fuel cell community holding a number of posts including: Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology; visiting Professor at the University of Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Centre; and co-ordinator of the Imperial College Centre for Ion Conducting Membranes. Mr. Brandon served as a Director at Ceres Power Limited and Ceres Power Holdings PLC. He serves as Member of Scientific Entrepreneurs Board at Imperial Innovations. He is a member of the Grove Fuel Cell Steering Committee. Mr. Brandon obtained his first degree and PhD from Imperial College London.
Follow Nigel Brandon:
About Ceres Power: Ceres Power Holdings PLC is a world leading developer of low cost, next generation fuel cell technology.
Prateek Bumb
CTO & Co-Founder of Carbon Clean Solutions
Prateek is responsible for day to day overall Technology and Operational strategy of the company. He is the principal innovator of new breakthrough technology to capture carbon dioxide from industrial gases. His expertise involves innovation and implementation of CO2 capture technology from idea to commercial stage. To date, he has international patents on the CO2 capture process and solvents and has published papers at several international conferences and in journals on carbon capture and storage technology.
Follow Prateek Bumb:
About Carbon Clean Solutions: Carbon Clean Solutions develops CO2 separation technology designed for industrial and gas treating applications.
Florian Thaler
Oil Strategist, CEO and Co-Founder at OilX of OilX
Florian is Oil Strategist, CEO and Co-Founder at OilX, a startup that is innovating oil trading analytics through deep empirical knowledge and state-of-the-art data science. Florian has >15 years’ oil experience at Shell, Citibank and Och-Ziff. He completed a doctorate at Vienna University of Economics and Business and a business administration degree at Bocconi University. Florian is one of 100 Future Energy Leaders of the World Energy Council.
Follow Florian Thaler:
About OilX: OilX is a oil sector that provides a global real-time oil supply-demand balance.
Ian Balcomb
Founder & Director of Bow Resources
Ian has worked in the oil and gas sector for over 15 years. He has held senior positions such as regional director, business development director and country manager; supplying project manpower solutions to some of the world’s largest oil and gas operators.
Follow Ian Balcomb:
About Bow Resources: Bow Resources is a manpower solutions provider focussed on the energy market; specialising in renewables,oil and gas.
Ben Carlisle
Founder & Director of Bow Resources
Ben has been working with small to large oil and gas operators for more than six years. An expert in the industry, he largely specialises across Africa and has signed commercial terms with clients to assist in the delivery of major international projects.
Follow Ben Carlisle:
About Bow Resources: Bow Resources is a manpower solutions provider focussed on the energy market; specialising in renewables,oil and gas.
Paul Ward
Co-Founder & Managing Director of BoilerJuice
Paul Ward is Co-Founder & Managing Director at BoilerJuice.com.
Follow Paul Ward:
About BoilerJuice: BoilerJuice was created by a group of friends who wanted to make ordering heating oil easier
Shravane Balabasqer
Founder | CEO of Carbon Analytics
Follow Shravane Balabasqer:
About Carbon Analytics: A granular asset focused carbon intelligence & offsetting platform for active industrial decarbonisation across the value chain.
Rod Crawford
Co-Founder & Technical Director of Zennor Petroleum
Rod’s wide experience includes the use of seismic inversion, attributes and reservoir characterisation over the whole range of geological environments: rifts, fold belts and forelands; both clastic and carbonate reservoirs; post/sub salt and sub basalt targets. Additionally, Rod has been an active member of several multi-disciplinary teams looking at projects as diverse as frontier exploration, prospect definition, field development studies and equity determinations. Rod graduated from the University of Wales with a BSc in Geophysics.
Follow Rod Crawford:
About Zennor Petroleum: Zennor Petroleum is an oil and has E&P company focused on the UK North Sea.
Jo Agar
Founder of Agar Corporation
Agar attended Battersea College of Advanced Technology receiving a diploma in Process Controls. He also received a Master of Philosophy in Physical Chemistry from the University of Surrey. His work experience in Physical Chemistry lead him to establish and become the Founder of Agar Instrumentation Ltd. in England in 1968 and Agar Corporation Ltd. in the Cayman Islands in 1979. These companies lead to the opening of additional Agar companies starting in 1980, notably Agar Corporation Inc. in Houston, Texas; Agarcorp de Venezuela C.A. in Maracaibo, Venezuela; AgarCorp SDN. BHD. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; AgarCorp Middle East in Abu Dhabi, DAE; and PT AgarCorp Indonesia in Tangerang, Indonesia. Agar is a holder of numerous patented inventions which are manufactured by the Agar companies.
Follow Jo Agar:
About Agar Corporation: Agar Corporation is a leading pioneer of non-nuclear, versatile, multi-phase flow meters used to optimize oil well testing and production.
Aidan Heavey
Founder and Chairman of Tullow Oil
Mr. Aidan Heavey founded Tullow Oil plc in 1985 and has been its Non-Executive Chairman since April 26, 2017. Mr. Heavey served as Chief Executive Officer of Tullow Oil plc from 1985 to April 26, 2017. Mr. Heavey played a key role in the development of Tullow from its formation in 1985, to its current international status. With an accounting background, he worked in the airline and engineering sectors in Ireland. He serves as Executive Director of Tullow Oil plc. He serves as a Director at Traidlinks. He is a Chartered Accountant.
Follow Aidan Heavey:
About Tullow Oil: Tullow Oil is an independent oil and gas, exploration and production group.
Trygve P. Munthe
Co-CEO & Founder of DHT Holdings
Trygve P. Munthe is the Founder & Co CEO of DHT Holdings Inc.
Follow Trygve P. Munthe:
About DHT Holdings: DHT operates as an independent crude oil tanker company.
Ishaan Hemnani
Founder and Director of BunkerEx
Ishaan Hemnani is the founder and director of BunkerEx. He earned his degree at Imperial College London.
Follow Ishaan Hemnani:
About BunkerEx: A new world for Marine Fuel.
Willem Muller
CTO and Founder of BunkerEx
Willem Muller is the CTO and founder of BunkerEx. He is an experienced technologist with deep knowledge of the Microsoft stack in an enterprise environment. I’ve worked extensively in digital security, online betting and insurance using web and middle tier technologies. Also have experience in entrepreneurial settings, as CTO, founder and as technical hand heavily involved in online customer acquisition. Willem Muller earned his degree at Victoria Park.
Follow Willem Muller:
About BunkerEx: A new world for Marine Fuel.
Andrew Toumazi
CEO and Founder of BLOC-X
Follow Andrew Toumazi:
About BLOC-X: BLOC-X is a provider of electronic trading software for OTC Oil Block Future markets that reduces your transaction costs by up to 90%.
Rotimi Alabi
Founder & CEO of RAB Microfluidics
Follow Rotimi Alabi:
About RAB Microfluidics, University of Aberdeen: RAB-Microfluidics is a Research & Development company developing cutting-edge microfluidic technology to solve oil analysis problems.
Alfie Cheyne
CEO & Founder of ACE Winches
Alfie is CEO and founder of ACE Winches. Graduating with a Marine Engineering Apprenticeship, Alfie worked as a Downhole Valve Specialist in the oil industry. In tandem he opened a marine and hydraulic engineering workshop manufacturing deck equipment, to service the fishing industry. As the fishing business took a down turn, Alfie looked to new markets, primarily offshore oil and gas for ACE winches and deck machinery. ACE Winches is the trading name of Alfred Cheyne Engineering Limited and over the last fifteen years Alfie has seized opportunities to establish engineering, hire equipment, hire personnel, service and winch academy divisions. Alfie was named Scottish CEO of the Year 2013 at the Scottish Business Awards and the 2012 Institute of Directors’ Global Director of the Year. A series of prestigious awards for ACE Winches has been attained over the years including two prestigious Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in International Trade.
Follow Alfie Cheyne:
About ACE Winches: A global leader in the design, manufacture and hire of winches.
Alexandra Cameron
Founder & CEO of Decarb Connect
Follow Alexandra Cameron:
About Decarb Connect: Decarb Connect organizes a community that promotes decarbonisation on energy-heavy businesses.
Brian Sheard
Co-Founder of CGON
Brian Sheard is Co-Founder at CGON.
Follow Brian Sheard:
About CGON: CGON is a technology developer responsible for creating the ezero1 hydrogen fuel additive system.
Ben Jones
Co-Founder & Head of Platform Development of ebb3
Ben Jones, co-founder of ebb3, is responsible for finding ways to solve the challenges preventing technological evolution. He has 17 years of experience with Citrix, VMware and Microsoft technologies and clients including Rolls Royce, Centrica, Barclays, BNP Paribas and LoveFilm (Amazon). Ben is a member of the NVIDIA GRID community advisor program. He specialises in innovation in networking, cloud computing and 3D applications.
Follow Ben Jones:
About ebb3: ebb3’s technology replaces the need for Workstations, it leverages modern Supercomputer Technology to deliver.
Toni Miszewski
Founder & Managing Director of AnTech Ltd
Toni Miszewski is a Founder & Managing Director at AnTech Ltd.
Follow Toni Miszewski:
About AnTech Ltd: AnTech delivers Directional Coiled Tubing Drilling Services to Oil & Gas Operators
Ginny Hicks
Founder & Partner of HLR Properties
Having worked in Corporate Relocation for several years, Ginny decided to set up HLR in 1986. With the majority of business starting from word of mouth, Ginny began to target a more client focused and bespoke agency. Over the years HLR has built up a great variety of contacts and a fantastic track record of properties. Ginny’s knowledge of London and personal approach, whether it is property or cultural pursuits means she can give you invaluable insight to living in London.
Follow Ginny Hicks:
About HLR Properties: Acquisition, management, consultation in oil and gas related fields. Specializing in Rocky Mountain petroleum.
Marcel Kooter
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Marcel Kooter Ltd.
Marcel is a highly experienced senior business leader who specialises in commercial strategies for the downstream oil industry. He has great depth of knowledge in lubricants and fuels, ranging from molecule to consumer working across both B2B and B2C business models and has worked across all market segments including Power, Industrial, Automotive, Marine and Aviation. During a career path spanning general management, strategic and operational sales, and brand and marketing expertise Marcel has demonstrated an impressive track record of business growth and bottom line income delivery through innovative and astute commercial strategies. He has a particular strength in forming successful partnerships as part of the sales strategy, defining win-win solutions which drive revenue leading for example to award of the prestigious ‘supplier of the year’ award at Ford Motor Company and enabling development of partnerships to supply first fill and service fill business in challenging markets including Turkey, China, South East Asia and South Africa. An energetic and focussed individual, Marcel has a collaborative leadership style, inspiring and motivating teams to deliver outstanding results within a clearly defined framework that empowers colleagues and rewards success. Following a global career, he has become adept at working across multi-cultural stakeholders both internal and external to the organisation, building the type of relationships that underpin successful leadership
Follow Marcel Kooter:
About Marcel Kooter Ltd.: Helping companies operating in the oil and gas industry create value and pursue strategic growth in a complex and volatile market.
Oliver Morgan
Founder & Managing Director of Universal Fuels
Oliver Morgan is a Founder & Managing Director at Universal Fuels.
Follow Oliver Morgan:
About Universal Fuels: Universal Fuels supplies heating oil, gas oil, marine gas oil, kerosene, DERV, diesel, and red diesel in the U.K.
Oliver Morgan
Founder & Managing Director of Universal Fuels
Oliver Morgan is a Founder & Managing Director at Universal Fuels.
Follow Oliver Morgan:
About Universal Fuels: Universal Fuels supplies heating oil, gas oil, marine gas oil, kerosene, DERV, diesel, and red diesel in the U.K.
